Fastener for envelops and the like.



J. S. APPLEGATE. FASTENER FOR ENVELOPS AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILEDNOV. 8, 1907.

898,8 1 9, Patented Sept. 15, 1908.,

WITNESSES [NVENTOR M71 5. flfi/zle afs 5; 8 I

, ATTORNEY JOHN S. APPLEGATE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FASTENER FOR ENVELOPS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

- Application filed November 8, 1907. Serial No. 401,222.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN S. APPLEGATE, a citizen of the United States,residing'at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inFasteners for Envelops and the Like, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in fasteners forenvelops and the like, and has for its object to provide an exceedinglysimple and effective device which may be applied to an envelop in suchmanner that the same cannot be opened without so tearing the envelop asto show that it has been opened.

With these ends in view, this invention consists in the details ofconstruction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and thenspecifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describeits construction in detail, referring by letter to the accompanyingdrawing forming a part of this specification, in which Figure l is afront view of my improved fastener showing the stud sprung therein. Fig.2, a back view of the same showing the stud therein. Fig. 3 is anenlarged trans verse section between the points IVIV of Fig. 2. Fig. 4,an end view of the stud. Fig. 5, an edge view of the stud, and Fig. 6,showing an envelop having my improvement applied thereto, the sealingflap being shown in the position just prior to sealing and lock Incarrying out my invention as here embodied, A represents the fastener,which consists of a thin piece of sheet metal or other suitable materialso stamped or formed as to produce the locking tongues B, which areribbed, as indicated at O, and prongs D are also formed with thefastener whereby it may be attached to the body of the envelop.

E represents the stud, which has formed thereon the head F, adapted tobe forced between the spring tongues whereby it will be firmly locked inplace. The head of this stud is intended to be passed through a hole inthe sealing flap of the envelop, and the base of the stud therefore madeof greater diameter than the head so that when the head has been passedthrough this hole and forced into engagement with the spring tongues thebase will prevent the opening of the flap unless the latter is drawnaway from the stud, thus clearly indicating that the en velop had beenopened.

The function of the ribs C are to hold the spring tongues at asuificient elevation to permit the head of the stud to be forced betweensaid tongues, for without these ribs the fastener would lie fiat againstthe inside of the envelop and the stud could not be forced into place.

In practice, the fastener A is secured to the inner surface of the backof the envelop in such a manner that the locking tongues B will lieconcentric with the hole formed in the sealing flap of the envelop inorder that the stud may be readily forced into place, or the stud may besecured in the sealing flap by pasting, stapling or otherwise so as toremain with the envelop and thus facilitate the closing of the same.

hen the envelop is to be used. the contents are placed therein in theusual manner and the sealing flap may be moistened so as to adhere tothe back of the envelop, and where the stud is also secured to thesealing flap it is forced into place during this operation, but wherethe stud is not secured to the sealing flap the letter is first sealedand the stud is then snapped into place. hen this has been accomplishedit will be impossible to withdraw the stud from the tongues, andtherefore the envelop cannot be opened without tearing the sealing flapor the back thereof. Should the en-velop be torn to remove the fastenerit cannot be re-sealed without plailply showing that it has beentampered wit The staple points D, if desired may be formed upon theouter edges of the fastener instead of on the inside thereof.

lVhile I have here shown the stud E as having a central openingtherethrough it is obvious that it may be made solid if desired.

It is a well known fact that letters are easily opened by steaming andother methods, the contents extracted or tampered with and the envelopagain sealed without showing any special indications of having beenopened, and great loss has been occasioned by this fact and a greatdesire has been brought about for overcoming this defect, and myinvention makes it absolutely impossible for a letter to be opened andresealed without plainly indicating the fact, and the cost of myinvention is so small that it may be used in connection with allordinary envelops, but is especially adapted for use in envelops fortransmitting money or valuable documents.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new anduseful, is

A fastener for envelops comprising two members, one member being askeleton plate of rectangular form, said plate being formed at oppositesides thereof with inwardly extending resilient tongues havingoppositely and concavely curved spaced adjacent edges, the materialconnecting said tongues constituting in efiect end cross pieces, saidcross pieces being each provided with projecting prongs adapted to beclenched upon the envelo the other member being in the form of a cyinder and having at one end an annular circums cribing head designed tobe engaged under said tongues and at its other end an 20 JOHN S.APPLEGATE.

-Witnessesi ANNIE E. APPLEGATE, MARTHA S. BRADLEY.

